Stewart Island

May 23, 2011

I left Te Anau today.  I’m going to miss that place.  It’s so beautiful.  My hope is that someday I can go back and do some of the tramps.  Maybe go on a tramping holiday!

We left Te Anau on the Stray Bus at 9am.  We had a lovely drive through rolling hills filled with sheep farms and dairy farms.  We took an extra long toilet break in Winton because they had fancy electronic bathrooms that talk to you and tell you how to lock the door among other instructions.  You even have to press a button to get toilet paper.  Half the bus used the toilets just to try them out.  It gave me a chance to get to know our driver a bit better.  His name is Spike.  He used to drive regularly for Stray about five or six years ago.  He’s just filling in now for fun and to earn some extra money for a holiday to the UK.  Because of this he’s a lot more fun than the other drivers I have had.

Only four of us decided to go to Stewart Island and not stay in Invercargill.  The other three are all from England.  There’s Sam, Fiona, and Hannah.  Spike also came over to the Island.  The four of us passengers took a plane to the island.  The plane only held ten people including the pilot.  It was amazing.  I never imagined I would fly in such a small plane and I never imagined I would take a plane to the island.  I had assumed I would take the ferry, but it wouldn’t get me there in time to enjoy the island.  And the plane wasn’t that much more expensive and totally worth the price!  

To top it all off it was a beautiful, gorgeous, sunny, warm day.  We had beautiful views and the flight wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would be!  We arrived and checked into our hostel.  Then we went to the DOC and found out about some lovely walks.  We walked over a good portion of the island and took in some lovely views.  We got bit up by some lovely New Zealand sandflies!  

After our walk back to Oban, the name of the town, we split up.  I walked up the other hill on the other side of town to the Presbyterian church.  I walked around the corner and then went to a secluded bathing beach.  No one else was there so I just had some quiet time with God.  It was the kind of beach where any minute I expected a mermaid to come up out of the water to sunbathe.  But I suppose I came too late in the day and all the mermaids had returned to sea.

We went out to dinner at the Pub.  I had some lovely blue cod with veggies.  We followed that up with a drink in the bar section.  We laughed and talked.  Spike joined us for dinner and drinks.  He’s so fun and knowledgeable and not crazy like my last driver!  I am very happy!  Tomorrow we go to Dunedin.  Sam and Fiona are going to stay a few days longer and I’m a bit jealous, but I think I will still have a great time!